Articles revealed in The Eye are written by a crew of contributors and edited by the multi-award profitable former BBC information and present affairs reporter, Phil Parry.
After 23 years with the BBC, and 39 years in journalism (when he was skilled to make use of clear and easy language, avoiding jargon), right here our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry appears to be like at how a prevalent view remains to be that ‘success’ can solely be celebrated if it has been achieved OUTSIDE Wales, following final evening’s awards on the British Academy of Movie and Tv Arts (BAFTA) Cymru ceremony, being offered for a SECOND yr operating, by star community tv host Alex Jones.
Earlier he described how he was assisted in breaking into the South Wales Echo (SWE) workplace automotive when he was a cub reporter, recalled his early profession as a journalist, the significance of expertise within the job, and making clear that the‘calls’ to emergency companies in addition to court docket circumstances are central to any media operation.
He has additionally explored how poorly paid most journalism is when trainee reporters needed to stay in squalid flats, the important function of bills, and about one in all his most vital tales on the now-scrapped 53 year-old BBC Wales TV Present Affairs sequence, Week In Week Out (WIWO), which received an award even after it was axed, lengthy after his profession actually took off.
Phil has defined too how essential it’s truly to talk to folks, the advantage of velocity in addition to accuracy, why data of ‘historical past’ is important, how sure materials was faraway from TV Present Affairs programmes when secret cameras had for use, and a few of these he has interviewed.
He has disclosed as properly why investigative journalism is required now greater than ever though others have completely different opinions, how the present coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown is enjoying havoc with media schedules, and the significance of the massively decrease common age of some political leaders in contrast with when he began reporting.
I’ve at all times discovered it odd.
A pervasive view seems to be that actual success can solely be celebrated if it has been achieved OUTSIDE Wales (particularly in London), so that folks throughout the UK (or higher nonetheless the world) can see a Welsh individual ‘doing properly’.
It appears to be one thing to do with a insecurity in Wales.
Devolution has made the state of affairs barely higher, however this nonetheless exists at the moment, if in a barely diminished kind.
What, although, is flawed with commemorating triumphs WITHIN WALES?!
Once I began in journalism in 1983 on the South Wales Echo (SWE), I used to be for a while the pop columnist, and virtually EVERY ‘story’ would come with the road: “This band are heading for London…”.
However one member of these bands confided in me years later: “We by no means obtained additional than Newport Phil!”.
That is the case in all walks of life, however is especially so within the media, which is, clearly, my space of particular concern.
The checklist of the ‘successes’ being recognised on this sphere is infinite, however has on it the adulation directed at community tv presenters Alex Jones, and Huw Edwards.
Within the case of Ms Jones, it may be seen in the truth that she was chosen as soon as extra to current the British Academy of Movie and Tv Arts (BAFTA) Cymru Awards final evening.
Proudly publicising the occasion beforehand, officers proclaimed excitedly on-line: “Alex Jones returns to host the particular ceremony at St David’s Corridor on Sunday 9 October. She might be joined by a bunch of stars to announce the winners on the evening. The ceremony might be out there to look at stay on BAFTA’s YouTube channel.”.
Probably this was as a result of, Ms Jones is greatest recognized for co-hosting the sunshine BBC One Tv journal programme The One Present, however organisers can also bear in mind that she has offered as properly, Tumble (2014), Shut Calls: On Digital camera (from 2015 to 2016) and Store Properly for Much less? (from 2016 to 2020, and that she was born in Ammanford.
Her added attraction to officers could also be that she was (in fact) deemed a ‘success’, as she is Welsh, and has fronted these community tv programmes.
Ms Jones is an intensive consumer of social media, which might, too, have added to her alure.
Taking to Instagram earlier, she wrote: “Issues have been a bit difficult for us just lately and in all honesty, I haven’t had time to be on right here between working and the kids however I randomly logged on and noticed all of your pretty messages gently asking if we have been all okay”, including: “I used to be touched by your kindness and so I simply wished to examine in and say thanks, and that despite the fact that life has been a bit difficult, we’re okay and nonetheless managing to benefit from the starting of the vacations and there’s nonetheless lots to smile about! (I’ll pop some stuff on my tales)”.
Or let’s take a look at Mr Edwards.
He received the BAFTA Cymru award for greatest on-screen presenter in 2002, and his BBC 10 O’Clock Information crew have been awarded a BAFTA in 2005 and 2006 for his or her reporting.
Mr Edwards who was born on August 18 1961 in Bridgend, is an everyday topic of ‘tales’ in Welsh media shops, together with WalesOnline (WO), and NationCymru (NC), as a result of he presents from London, the company’s flagship information programme.
For instance, in a March merchandise about him, NC declared: “Huw Edwards has beforehand revealed that he want to be the First Minister of Wales – however only for someday”.
An article regarding Mr Edwards in April stated: “BBC Cymru Wales have commissioned three new documentaries to be broadcast later this yr, together with a one-hour particular with Huw Edwards“. In Might it was: “Huw Edwards has stated a colleague instructed him the BBC “doesn’t need folks to suppose there’s a nutter studying the ten O’Clock information”.
WO is not any higher.
The web site has a wierd concept of stories values, and Paul Rowland (its former Viewers and Content material Director), threatened to sue me over an correct satirical piece on The Eye, in regards to the variety of ‘tales’ that they had revealed regarding the opening of a Cardiff bar. In issuing the authorized menace, he used the extraordinary phrases “satire is not any defence towards libel” when in truth generally it may be.
On WO, he additionally suggested a reader anxious to interrupt into journalism that the easiest way of doing it was to jot down about avenue meals, saying: “You may not be excited about ’19 mouth watering avenue meals dishes and the place to seek out them in Wales’, and also you may imagine it’s not one thing we needs to be writing (I wouldn’t agree, however that’s advantageous). That doesn’t imply it’s clickbait”.
Though the next ‘tales’ don’t fall strictly into this space, they have been in the same vein:
On September 20 they revealed: “Huw Edwards breaks silence on Queen protection reward with candy message to crew”. 4 days earlier it was: “Welsh TV presenter Huw Edwards is cherished for his skilled and calm presenting method and was just lately praised”. Two days earlier than THAT, they ‘reported’: “Huw Edwards has been main protection of the nation mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth II”.
The web site even supplied as a narrative the calls on social media to knight Mr Edwards, due to his protection of The Queen’s dying!
However this ‘star’ is definitely ENORMOUSLY controversial, and (as with Ms Jones) the usage of social media is commonly on the centre of issues, but that is NOT reported. The Twitter account @huwbbc was discontinued, with officers saying: “Twitter suspends accounts which violate the Twitter Guidelines”.
Certainly one of his tweets highlighted (sarcastically): “The wacky world the place Wales was by no means a nation and Pembrokeshire is the heartland of… Plaid Cymru. Assist!”, with the image hooked up beneath exhibiting protesters carrying Welsh flags aloft, and one holding a placard of END LONDON RULE, clearly seen close to the centre of the {photograph}. This picture appeared to fly instantly within the face of BBC guidelines about impartiality.
He was ordered to drop one other submit of himself, in entrance of a Welsh flag, which he proclaimed (as soon as extra sarcastically) was a “backdrop for @BBCNews at Ten”, however responded afterwards (once more with irony): “Gutted my pro-flag tweet has been lower down in its prime. By order. However will probably be again tomorrow – by standard demand. In the meantime take pleasure in this magnificent flag – one in all my favourites. Hashtag SixNationsRugby Hashtag FRAvWAL”. A sequence of emojis have been included after the remark.
This tweet by Mr Edwards, got here after a flurry of pro-Wales exercise on his Twitter web page earlier than a global rugby match towards France, when he stepped in following the efficiency of the Welsh rugby crew being criticised in The Every day Telegraph (DT). “Each Grand Slam ranked – and why Wales can be the ‘worst’ ever winners in the event that they beat France”, ran the newspaper’s headline, to which Mr Edwards replied with heavy irony: “Not just like the @Telegraph to be so effortlessly one-sided… Cymru am Byth!”
His bulletins, although, haven’t been met with wild acclaim by the chief of the Welsh Conservatives within the Welsh Parliament/Senedd Cymru (WP/SC) Andrew RT Davies, who has stated on Twitter that The BBC was: “Using presenters who overtly mock… (Britain)… Ridiculous!”, and linked it to the ‘Gutted’ submit.
After Mr Edwards’ obvious opposition to a narrative about rugby within the DT, and one other from its former Editor Max Hastings in regards to the Welsh language, NC revealed a ‘information’ piece saying: “Huw Edwards slams former Telegraph editor for anti-Welsh language article”. As I’ve proven, it has ‘reported’ many ‘tales’ about his exploits.
Following the comment about Welsh nationalist get together Plaid Cymru (PC), it ran a ‘story’ that: “Broadcaster Huw Edwards has protested the BBC’s new guidelines on utilizing social media by unleashing a cascade of Welsh flags”.
Maybe there should even be guidelines about organisations publishing ‘tales’ about Welsh ‘celebrities’, or utilizing them to host ceremonies in Cardiff TWICE, simply because they have ‘succeeded’ in London, or ought to that be Llundain…
The reminiscences of Phil’s exceptional a long time lengthy award-winning profession in journalism (when he achieved success in presenting community tv programmes in London and Cardiff, in addition to Welsh-only broadcasts) as he was gripped by the uncommon neurological disabling situation, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been launched in a significant e-book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order the e-book now!
Regrettably publication of one other e-book, nevertheless, was refused, as a result of it was to have included names.
Tomorrow – why calls for from PC that rents needs to be frozen, have been met with excessive hostility, amid warnings it might truly imply that FEWER inexpensive houses are offered in Wales.
